


The Coffee Shop Around the Corner

by Jade4813



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, F/M, Shop Around the Corner AU, You've Got Mail AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-14 06:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9166447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jade4813/pseuds/Jade4813
Summary: Barry Allen, CCPD CSI, keeps blowing it with the reporter who's been assigned to work with him, Iris West. One night, he strikes up a friendship with the moderator of a message board, Newsflash, and the two of them become close. What will happen when they discover they've been falling in love with the person they hate? AU, inspired by "The Shop Around the Corner"/"You've Got Mail."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mmtion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmtion/gifts).



The air was cool and crisp, the first dead leaves of the season crunching underfoot, as Barry jogged across the street and up the steps to the Central City Police Department’s wide front doors. He was running late, again – an all too common occurrence over the last few months. Hunching his shoulders slightly as though ducking his head behind the high collar of his coat would make him invisible and thus immune from his police captain’s wrath, he darted towards the stairs. If only he could make his way to his lab before –

“Allen!” He jerked at the sound of Singh’s voice, and he heard himself groan softly. Without losing stride, he changed direction and followed his captain into the other man’s office, bracing himself for a stern dressing-down.

“Sir, I can explain –” he began before he even cleared the doorway. Singh had moved behind his desk and gestured for Barry to sit.

At his subordinate’s attempt to excuse his tardiness, Singh waved his hand and seemed to roll his eyes slightly. “Let me guess. Your car broke down again? The car you don’t own? Or did you have to stop to get another kitten out of a tree?”

Barry felt his face grow red. “Well, I – I –” he stammered.

“Forget about it. One day, we’ll have a chat about your apparent inability to read a clock, but that’s not why I called you in here today. I have a job for you. Mason Bridge at the Central City Picture News requested the assistance of this department to do a series of articles about our city’s new superhero. I was planning to ignore that request until the Mayor graciously volunteered our support.” His voice betrayed a tiny hint of sarcasm, his disdain at the suggestion that the police didn’t have better things to do. “Since you apparently don’t have enough to do to find it necessary to get to work on time, I assume you won’t have a problem acting as the department’s liaison on the story. I’m sure someone will contact you with what they need.” He turned his attention back to the papers on his desk, silently dismissing his CSI.

His embarrassment escalated into sheer alarm. “B-but sir!” he protested. He wasn’t surprised that his boss was punishing him for his persistent tardiness, but this was one assignment he couldn’t take.

Marshaling his arguments, Barry tried to argue, but he knew he would have to be very persuasive to change Singh’s mind. “Sir, I know the mayor volunteered our services, but this – this is a bad idea! The police department liaising with a newspaper? They’re always happy to change facts if necessary to sensationalize a headline!” He scrambled for more outlandish charges to press against reporters – anything to demonstrate how inappropriate he would be for the job without admitting to the actual reason for his reluctance. He was afraid that an astute reporter might see through his charade and discover he was the superhero in question. “You know reporters can’t be trusted. This one will probably just use this partnership as an excuse to get a few quotes they’ll take out of context and then spin to make it seem like we’re incompetent at handling the metahuman threat! They’re rude, nosy, opportunistic –”

“Oh, come on, we’re hardly rude. I suppose we can be nosy, but we can also be awfully charming when we want to be.” The drawling voice came from the doorway, and Barry jumped to his feet. He spun towards the sound, his face growing hot.

When he saw the woman in the doorway, he almost tripped over his feet. He recognized her, of course. Iris West, star reporter for CCPN. He’d never spoken with her before. Actually, they’d never met face to face – at least, he hadn’t met her as Barry Allen. In a way, he’d met her as Flash the day he’d discovered his powers.

He had been on his way to work when he saw a car run a red light and speed straight towards some pedestrians crossing the street. Iris had rushed forward to push them out to safety, but he saw the moment she realized she wouldn’t be able to get out of the car’s path in time, herself. As she’d stared in horror at the oncoming car, time itself seemed to slow. A moment later, Barry had realized that time wasn’t slowing down; he was speeding up. He’d discovered he could move faster than humanly possible, and so he’d raced forward, picked her up, and carried her to the side of the road before speeding away.

Later that day, she’d published the very first article about him, officially naming him Flash.

Since then, he’d seen her at various crime scenes, standing behind a line of yellow police tape as she jotted down notes on a story, spoke to people in the crowd, or even conferred with officers on site. He’d found himself wondering what would have happened if he’d stayed and talked to her, instead of running away. Of course, at the time, he hadn’t exactly had the presence of mind to know what to do; he’d been too astonished by his newfound abilities. But ever since, every time he saw her, he was struck by the realization she was even more gorgeous than he remembered. At one point, he’d been tempted to find an excuse to approach the tape, maybe even find the words to ask her to grab a cup of coffee together. But he’d never been able to find the nerve.

If he’d hoped she’d ever seen him at a crime scene and pondered asking him out as he had her, nothing in her expression gave any indication. The wry smile that curved the corners of her mouth was belied by the slight arch of her eyebrows and the angry gleam in her eye. She had heard him grievously insult her, and he felt shame and self-recrimination at the words that he’d foolishly used to deter and deflect. Worried as he was about keeping his secret, if he’d had any idea she would be the reporter assigned to the case, he would have held his tongue.

“I – I – I –” Barry stammered, completely incapable of finding a coherent thought to dig his way out of this situation of his own making.

“Ah, Miss West, meet Barry Allen. Barry Allen, Iris West. I’m sure the two of you will enjoy working together. Barry’s mouth may occasionally get away from him, but he’s the best CSI in our department. Well, he’s the only CSI, but if he wasn’t so good at his job, I probably would have fired him long ago.” He paused and added, “You can quote me on that.” Leaning back in his chair, he smiled in a self-satisfied way and nodded to the door. “Now if you don’t mind, I have some work to do. I’ll leave you both to get acquainted.”

Recognizing a dismissal when he heard one, Barry mumbled an incomprehensible agreement under his breath and stepped out of the office, closing the door behind him. He swallowed heavily when he realized that this left him standing with a still very irritated Iris West. “I – uh – I’m sorry about – about what I said before,” he finally managed to stammer out.

Her arms crossed over her chest, Iris shifted her weight and shook her hair back over her shoulder. “Oh, that? I’ve been called worse, though I admit I’m disappointed. I had heard you were brilliant, so I assumed you would at least be a little more inventive with your insults. Don’t think for a second that it’ll get you out of this assignment. I’m here because of the Flash, and you won’t be rid of me until I have what I need from this department. I don’t particularly care whether you want to work with me or not.” Turning on her heel, she stalked towards the exit, throwing over her shoulder, “I just came by today to introduce myself. Don’t worry; I’ll be in touch.”

As her footsteps faded and the front door closed, Barry sagged into his coat. He’d certainly messed things up this time.


	2. Chapter 2

Several hours later, Barry walked into his friend’s apartment without knocking – a common occurrence on both sides – and collapsed on the sofa with a heavy sigh. From his position at the nearby table, Cisco looked up in concern. “Rough day?”

“You have no idea,” Barry groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. “Singh wants me to work with the CCPN on an in-depth feature on the Flash.”

Cisco let out a low whistle as he leaned back in his chair. “Well. That’s…complicated. Did you try to talk him out of it?”

Barry would have to be a viscous substance to sink any lower into the couch cushions. “I tried. It didn’t go well. And to make it worse, the reporter? Iris West.”

“The one you’ve told me about? Way to find a silver lining!”

He leaned his head against the back of the couch and tried to find a way to explain that he hadn’t so much found the silver lining as he’d nuked it into orbit, but just then, Cisco’s friend Caitlin walked into the room carrying two mugs of hot chocolate. Barry knew they’d known each other since undergrad, when they’d gone to school together. He often wondered if there might be more than just friendship between them, but he’d never found a good way to ask. He snuck a peek into their glasses as she put them on the table and noticed that Cisco’s had a notable excess of mini marshmallows, and mentally filed it away as possible evidence to the affirmative for the future.

Sliding into a seat at Cisco’s elbow, Caitlin piped in, “Barry found a silver lining? What’s that?”

“He gets to work with Iris West. The hot reporter he’s gone on about.”

Cisco sounded downright smug, but his grin fell when Caitlin rolled her eyes and gave his shoulder a light smack at his choice of phrasing. Ignoring his affronted cry, she turned her attention to the man who was at that moment wishing an emergency could arise that would get him out of the conversation. “Oh, Iris? You know, I met her once. She came by the hospital needing some help with a story, and I talked to her for a few minutes. She’s really nice; I think you’ll like her.”

Barry sighed, banging his head slightly against the back of the sofa. “I might. I’m pretty sure she won’t like me, though.” Before they could ask, he explained, “I was explaining to Singh why we shouldn’t work together – I didn’t know it would be her at the time! – and she overheard. She seemed pretty pissed.”

He didn’t have to look to know that they were exchanging one of their wordless glances. They knew each other so well, it often seemed like they could read each other’s minds. Aware he probably wouldn’t enjoy being the subject of their silent conversation, Barry changed topics abruptly. “So, what are you guys up to?”

At the question, it was Cisco’s turn to look abashed, and Caitlin jumped and stared into her cocoa as though, with enough contemplation, the pattern of mini marshmallows could portend the future. “Us? We weren’t doing anything! Well, nothing much!” Cisco offered, his voice a half an octave too high and definitely too defensive to be believed. It was Barry’s turn to raise a skeptical eyebrow, causing Cisco to flush deeper and drop his eyes to his laptop.

“We were – uh – we were checking out a Flash fansite,” he admitted in a sheepish mumble.

“Wait, a what?” Barry repeated, his mind struggling to come to terms with the concept. “I have a fansite?” He jumped to his feet and moved to his friend’s side to take a peek over his shoulder.

Apparently deciding she couldn’t let Cisco take all the embarrassment upon himself, Caitlin interjected, “A blog, really, but it’s already surprisingly popular. _Saved By the Flash_. It started as a place to discuss sightings of the Flash and other metahumans, and the main site is still primarily that. But some of the members spun off a side blog – _FlashFanatics_ – and…um…that’s…that’s more interesting.”

“More interesting how?” the man in question asked as Cisco scooted out of the way so he could take control of the computer. His eyes swept the long line of threads about the Flash, struggling to take it all in. On impulse, he clicked on one titled _All I Want for Christmas_.

The screen loaded, bringing up a drawing of an unrealistically endowed Flash – naked, save for a Santa hat. Barry shrieked and almost knocked the laptop off the table in his haste to hit the back button. Cisco yelped and jumped back from the table, covering his eyes. “Aw, man, some things can never be unseen! I’m never getting that picture out of my head!” Caitlin laughed so hard she had to rest her head on her folded arms and gasped for breath.

“Nice site,” Barry grumbled irritably. And he thought he’d wanted to die of embarrassment earlier. Could this day get any worse?

“It’s not all like that,” Cisco protested, still rubbing his eyes like they burned.

Caitlin lifted her head. “No, I’m sure the Santa hat is completely optional,” she teased between giggles, but the joke set her off again and she had to return to the sanctuary of her arms.

“It’s not funny!” Cisco shot back at her. “I’m scarred for life, over here!”

“It’s a little funny,” she wheezed, her words muffled. She lifted her head long enough to grin at Cisco. “You should have seen the look on your face!” she managed to explain before erupting into another fit of giggles.

Cisco huffed in indignation, but the soft smile he threw Caitlin when she wasn’t looking hinted that he was could see some humor in the situation. Or at least in her reaction to it. Just as she started to get herself under control finally, he said, “You know, I guess it could have been worse. They could have made a wish for Hanukkah.”

Caitlin looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly. Then, as whatever mental image this inspired sank in, her attempt to hold back her laughter resulted in a sound like a choked squeak. This seemed to be the final straw and she lost it again.

Taking this as his cue to leave, Barry muttered an excuse and headed for the door. As he left, he threw a glance over his shoulder at his friends. Caitlin was covering her face with her hands, her laugh coming out in desperate little hiccups. Cisco stood over her, trying to pretend to be disgusted but looking just a little too self-satisfied to pull it off. With a soft shake of his head, he walked out and shut the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Later that night, back at his own apartment, Barry couldn’t stop thinking about the original blog Caitlin had mentioned, _Saved By the Flash_. Cautiously curious – and hoping to avoid a repeat of the earlier discovery – he nervously pulled it up on his laptop and browsed the posts.

One caught his eye, titled _Flash – Really a Hero?_ and he clicked on the link.

_All of these metahumans running around Central City, and so many of them have done terrible things. They say Flash is a hero, but can we really believe them? How can you really trust a man in a mask? If he became a threat tomorrow, could we really stop him? The City used to feel safe to me, but now I can’t help but feel like it’s become a terrifying place. We can never really know the Flash’s true intentions. Am I the only one who’s scared about what could happen if we’re wrong? – SmalltownGirl_

Barry frowned, momentarily discouraged by the words, but the first response caught his eye. It was by the site administrator, who went by the screen handle Newsflash and whose profile was sparse but indicated she was a woman in her twenties. It read as follows:

_@SmalltownGirl, I understand your concern, but I think the Flash is every bit the hero he seems to be. The world is changing, it’s true, and there are people out there with incredible powers who can do incredible things. Many of them have chosen the path of wrongdoing, and I know that makes you scared. That’s understandable!_

_But I find more cause for hope than fear in the new metahuman presence. When I read about the Flash, I’m reminded that, however many bad people there are in the world, there are also people like him. There are genuinely good people in the world. People who use whatever abilities they have – super or not – to help those in need, to stand against those who would in power who seek only to exploit those weaker than themselves. With or without superpowers, that’s what makes a hero, and we could use a few more of those in the world today, I think. – Newsflash_

Barry stared at the reply for a long time, reading it over and over. When he’d first developed his speed, it had never been a question for him whether he should use his abilities for good. He’d never even given serious consideration to trying to suppress or deny them in an attempt to embrace the obscurity of a normal life. But he supposed he hadn’t given a lot of thought to the effect he would have on the people of Central City, either. He’d simply thought about how he could help.

Her words touched him and made him think about all the people in the city he hadn’t personally helped but were impacted by the Flash nonetheless. After reading the response a few more times, he acted on impulse and created an account. It took him several minutes to come up with a screen name that wasn’t too cheesy, but he finally settled on one and posted a reply.

_@Newsflash, do you really believe that? I suppose I’d never thought about things that way before. I think if you were to ask him, it never would have occurred to him that people saw him as a symbol of hope. Although I think he would be touched to think that he’d impacted even one person in the way you described – let alone a whole city. - ScienceNerd_

After he finished writing, he stared at his response, his forehead creased in deep frown lines. It was so strange, talking about himself in the third person, and he found it particularly strange to be discussing the heroism of his alter-ego. In a purely intellectual sense, he supposed he’d known from the time he’s chosen to officially reveal himself publicly that some would label him a hero. But it wasn’t a word he was fully comfortable applying to himself. He certainly didn’t think of himself that way. Other people were heroes; he was just a guy trying his best to do the right thing and help as many people as possible.

He almost deleted the post, embarrassed that he was even getting involved in a conversation about himself. He didn’t even really know why he was doing it, other than that he found himself oddly intrigued by this faceless person behind the computer screen, just because of a few words on a page. Barry forced himself to hit the “submit” button before he could back out and then skimmed the words above his reply one more time.

He really should put the laptop away for the night, forget about the blog. Truth be told, his curiosity about it in the first place was a bit ridiculous at best and possibly verging on egomaniacal. Before he could turn off the computer, however, another reply popped up beneath his.

_@ScienceNerd – I’m sure you’re right about the Flash. But that’s the thing about heroes. They very rarely think of themselves that way. If they did, would they really be heroes?_

Four sentences, and yet Barry couldn’t stop thinking about them as he shut down his computer and turned in for the night. He was still thinking about her words later that night, as he drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

ScienceNerd’s conversation with Newsflash continued over the next several weeks. After a little more back-and-forth discussion on the public forum regarding the nature of heroes, she had messaged him privately to continue their conversation. Things had evolved from there, moving from philosophical discussions regarding the nature of heroism to more private topics.

On paper, he was cognizant of the fact that he knew very little concrete about her. Well, for one thing, he knew she was a she. She was a life-long resident of Central City, and she thrived on its heartbeat. He didn’t know what she did for a living or her real name, yet he knew she looked forward to Christmas but struggled with cold weather, preferring to look out at snowy days from the warmth and comfort of home. She was addicted to coffee and eschewed early mornings. She was close with her family, but he had the feeling she was single.

Or maybe the last was wishful thinking.

Of course, she knew very little about him. He’d told her that he’d also grown up in Central City and couldn’t imagine ever living anywhere else. He was an only child and lost his mother at a young age, though he didn’t go into details. He liked taking long walks at night, particularly in the snow, so he was looking forward to the colder nights ahead. He told her he’d always wanted to get a dog, but his life was too hectic at the moment and he didn’t feel that he was at home often enough to care for one.

He didn’t tell her that he was single. But he hoped she somehow knew.

He was still mulling over their conversation of the night before (in which Newsflash had confessed to him that she’d tried four times now to get into a newly released popular novel and had fallen asleep halfway through the second chapter every time). He’d suggested to her that her caffeine intake might be lacking and almost offered to buy her a cup at the local coffeehouse, Jitters. Of course, he’d chickened out before he could. She’d replied that if she drank any more caffeine on a daily basis, she’d move faster than the Flash.

The memory made him chuckle, when he heard someone knock on his open doorway. At the disruption from his pleasant if idle thoughts, an exasperated sigh slipped through his lips even as he looked up, before he could pull it back. Making it worse, the interruption was Iris.

He hadn’t seen her since their ill-timed meeting in Singh’s office, and he noted now the body language that made it clear she still hadn’t forgotten what he’d said. It was also clear she’d heard him sigh and had misinterpreted it. She hung back, her arms crossed over her chest and her head cocked to the side. Her expression practically dared him to repeat the incident.

“Hey, Allen,” she greeted him, her voice on just this side of polite. “Is this a bad time?”

“Of course not! I was just…in the middle of something,” he replied quickly, belatedly realizing he’d been staring blankly straight ahead while his mind was on other things. There was no way she’d take his explanation as anything other than a lie. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he attempted to change the subject. “I suppose you’re here about your Flash story. I’ve been expecting your call.”

Iris straightened and stepped into the room, though she kept her distance. “Well, I tried. You never returned my messages, and when I came by, nobody seemed to know where you were. Or at least, if they did, they weren’t willing to tell me. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were avoiding me.”

“Ah, right,” he mumbled, running a hand through already disheveled hair as he shot a quick look at his phone to only belatedly see the blinking voicemail light. “Anyway, since you’re here, I suppose you want to get started?”

She seemed to have braced herself for him to come up with a bad excuse why they couldn’t get to work, and she relax slightly when it didn’t come. Her voice warmed slightly. “Yeah, actually. That’d be great.”

He hadn’t had time to pull together all the files he knew she would want to peruse, per Singh’s orders, but he had a few in his desk. He rifled through his drawer to grab them, staring at her out of the corner of his eye as he did so. They had definitely started off on the wrong foot, and while he supposed he should take most (if he was being honest with himself, probably all) of the blame for that, he wished they could start over. On the other hand, getting too close with a reporter would probably not be the best way to maintain his secret identity. As unfortunate as it was, perhaps the fact that they couldn’t seem to get on the same page was for the best.

“Here you go,” he offered, setting them out for her.

She thanked him and slid into the seat, but she didn’t open the file yet. “So, tell me. Have you ever met the Flash?”

Barry stiffened and pretended to read some papers on his desk, afraid his expression would give him away. “No! Of course not! Me meet the Flash? I - how would I meet him? Why would you ask that? I mean, why do you want to know?”

Iris stared at him like he’d just dropped out of the sky. Then she broke out into a laugh. “Oh, I get it! You’re a Flash fan!”

His jaw dropped. “Are you – no! No, I’m not.” She shrugged at his tone and turned her attention to the papers in front of her. He watched her as she read the reports in front of her, one leg crossed over the other, her foot tracing lazy circles in the air. It occurred to him that he might be able to use her antagonism towards him to his advantage. He couldn’t convince his captain to call off the story, and he doubted he’d be able to convince her to give it up. But perhaps he could convince her to at least request a different liaison. It wouldn’t keep his secret completely safe, but at least he wouldn’t be standing right in the center of the bullseye.

All he had to do was to continue being the jerk she already thought he was. Simple enough, right?

“Anyway, it’s not that I’m a fan,” he said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them, “I just don’t understand why you’d even be writing this story.”

Her head shot up, and her eyes narrowed upon him. “What do you mean?” she asked in a level tone.

He shrugged. “I just don’t know why this is a story your paper would want to write about. Just because you think something is interesting doesn’t make it newsworthy.”

With very deliberate movements, Iris closed the file in front of her and crossed her arms, leaning in like she’d smelled blood and was moving in for the kill. “You don’t think the Flash – one of the first metahumans to appear in this city and the first to step up and make a name for himself as a superhero – is newsworthy?”

When she put it like that, his argument sounded stupid. He opened his mouth to backpedal, but remembering his purpose, he forced himself to charge ahead instead. “Well, like you said, he’s in it for the glory. I don’t think that’s –”

“I didn’t say that!” she snapped, jumping to her feet.

Barry feigned confusion. “Didn’t you just say that he’s trying to make a name for himself as a superhero? Sounds like someone who’s in it for the glory.”

Iris looked livid. “You are twisting my words! He is trying to help people, and –”

“And he knows that every time he speeds around town in his red leotard, you and your paper will write about him. As do all the other metahumans in town, who clearly have seen the easiest way for them to make headline news,” he interjected.

“That is – I can’t – that has to be the most asinine thing I have ever heard!” she spat. “Are you honestly blaming the CCPN for the metahuman threat?”

Even for the charade, he couldn’t go that far. Quite. “No, I’m not saying you caused it. But I doubt the media attention helps. I mean, we saw it before metahumans emerged in the city – people saw the kind of media attention they could get if their crimes were horrible enough, so they would try to make a big splash so they could steal the headline. Do you really think metahumans are any different?”

Iris blew out a heavy, exasperated breath. “No,” she conceded, though her voice wavered with anger. “Sadly, there will always be people willing to do anything for their fifteen moments of fame. But that doesn’t diminish that the Flash has done nothing but good, as far as we know, and the people deserve to know that people like him are out there. That no matter the evil we face, there is also incredible good.”

He wanted to tell her he agreed with her, that though he wasn’t comfortable thinking of the Flash – of himself – in such terms, he knew from his conversations with Newsflash that the stories Iris and others wrote on him brought the city hope. Barry believed in the power of hope.

But since that would defeat the whole purpose of everything he’d done so far, he turned away so she wouldn’t see the self-recrimination on his face. He shrugged, knowing she would see the lift and fall of his shoulders. “I don’t know if that’s naïve optimism or blind faith.”

“At least I believe in something!” she started to argue, but he cut her off, charging ahead like she hadn’t spoken.

“There are also glory-hounds, you know. For all we know, Flash is doing what he is to make headlines, and you’re willing to write about him as long as you think he sells papers. What happens when he falls off that pedestal you’re putting him on? Do you write the truth about him then, or do you keep up with your convenient narrative, so you don’t lose your meal ticket?”

He could swear he could feel the force of her glare. If looks could kill, he would almost certainly be a dead man. When she finally spoke, her low tone couldn’t disguise her rage and dislike for him. “Well, Mr. Allen, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I know your opinion of reporters –”

“I don’t have a problem with reporters!”

“So you just have a problem with me. But it doesn’t matter. You can think I’m a rude, obnoxious, nosy little busybody who has been the inspiration for every single criminal in this city. I don’t give a damn! It doesn’t mean you’re right, and it isn’t going to stop me from doing my job! I am going to write this story about the Flash because regardless of what you think, he’s a hero and the city would be a better place if there were more people like him and fewer cynics like you!

“But since I think it’s very clear what you think of me – and of what I do – I wonder if you’re really the best person to work with me on this story. So don’t worry; with any luck, you won’t have to put up with me and my naïve optimism or blind faith or whatever you think my problem is much longer!”

She stormed out, and when he was alone once more, Barry bowed his head and breathed a heavy sigh. What he’d just done was terrible, he knew, but at least it seemed to have worked. With any luck, she’d get him replaced and his secret would be safe.

He was almost grateful a minute later when his phone buzzed. The message was from Cisco; an apartment fire had been reported downtown, and people were still trapped in the building. The Flash was needed. Frankly, with what he had just done, it would be something of a relief to lose himself in his abilities for a while.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later, Barry was still brushing bomb dust off his suit when he sped through his front door, letting it swing shut behind him. It occurred to him belatedly that he should perhaps look to finding a more secret place to transition between Flash and Barry Allen. He hadn’t been caught by anyone yet, but all it would take would be one nosy neighbor looking out their window when he Flashed his way home, and his secret would be out.

He breathed a heavy sigh and made sure all his blinds were closed before pulling off his mask. “Hey,” he greeted Caitlin and Cisco finally. They were huddled together, staring intently at something on Cisco’s laptop. He glanced down at himself; he would probably need a shower at the very least, before he could join them.

“Hey,” Caitlin replied distractedly before mumbling some more over the screen. Cisco didn’t even look up. With a shrug, he grabbed his own laptop and moved at a leisurely pace towards the bedroom. He could use a quick shower, but there was something he wanted to do first.

In the privacy of his room, he opened his computer and pulled up the private chat where he and Newsflash traded messages. A grin spread across his face when he saw a message waiting for him.

_Oh, my god, I cracked up at your story about the old lady in the coffee shop! I love it when people get to that age where they’re able to cut loose and have a little fun without letting embarrassment or worry over what people will think hold them back. I have to admit, I envy it a little, too. Why wait until we’re old to do what we want to do? Maybe we should take a page from her book. Tomorrow, we should both promise to do one thing we’ve always wished we were brave enough to do, but we’ve always been too embarrassed. I won’t judge you if you promise not to judge me! I would ask for pictures as proof, but that would defeat the whole purpose of agreeing to remain anonymous with each other, wouldn’t it?_

_That said, I can’t pretend I’m not curious to know who you really are. I’m sitting at my own coffee shop – getting my sixth (!) cup of coffee of the day, if you can believe that horrifying thought – and I usually spend most of my time looking around and making up little stories about the private lives the people around me live. The tall, tired looking guy in the corner with the double shot espresso? He has four kids at home that he lets stay up obnoxiously late because he doesn’t want to miss out on a moment with them. The woman reading quietly in the corner? She’s taking her mind off a presentation she’ll be giving this afternoon to a room full of corporate types. By this evening, she’ll have saved her whole company!_

_But today, instead of writing these silly little stories about total strangers, I find myself looking around at the strangers around me, wondering if any are you. Of course, I know it’s ridiculous to wonder. There are probably hundreds of coffee shops in Central City; it’s unlikely you’d ever wonder into mine._

_And then again…you could. You could be anyone, any one of a thousand nameless faces I pass on the street. I don’t know your name or your face, but when I read your words, I feel like you’re with me._

_If I’m honest, I need that feeling right now. I’ve been having some trouble at work lately. I keep telling myself I shouldn’t unload this on you. It’s not that big of a deal, really. I know we usually don’t talk about important things. Then again, this isn’t that important, I suppose._

_Have you ever been in a situation where there’s someone you work with, someone whose work and reputation you really respect and admire, but then you find out they don’t feel the same way about you? Not only do they not respect you or your work, but they belittle your entire existence and you find out they don’t think that much of you at all?_

_I know their opinion shouldn’t bother me, and I don’t want you to think I’m sitting here throwing myself a pity party. Maybe I shouldn’t have even mentioned it, but it’s frustrating and disappointing. It doesn’t help that I know my boss thinks I should be able to take care of this on my own and get the job done, regardless of personality conflicts. Well, not just my boss. My mentor. I don’t want to let him down by making him think I can’t handle it. It’s hard enough to be taken seriously at work sometimes, you know?_

_But whenever I have a hard day, I remember that you’re out there. It makes me feel better, just knowing that somewhere out there in this great big city tonight, you’re there. My friend._

_Wow, I’ve gotten sappy, haven’t I? I suppose that’s as good a sign as any that I should cut back on the caffeine. I know you said you didn’t think I could compete with the Flash, no matter how much coffee I drink, but I think I may be onto something. Maybe he isn’t really a metahuman. Maybe he’s just a man with a SERIOUS caffeine addiction. I will consider this a solid theory until proven wrong, which means my daily intake isn’t dangerously unhealthy – it’s all in the name of science!_

_Okay, I suppose I’ll sign off now, before I say anything truly embarrassing. Do you think this entire e-mail can be my one thing?_

Barry had a feeling he looked a little lovestruck as he finished reading her message. Glancing towards the door to make sure he wouldn’t be interrupted, he reached for the keyboard to type out a quick reply.

_Oh, no. I’m not letting you off THAT easily! You promised me one embarrassing thing you’ve always wanted to do, and I don’t think anything you’ve written is that embarrassing. Actually, I feel the same way._

_I know we haven’t known each other very long – and we don’t know each other outside of a blinking cursor on a computer screen. But do you ever have a moment when you think you’re perfectly happy and have everything you’ve ever wanted, until something happens and you realize there’s something you’ve actually been missing all along? There’s a hole you didn’t even realize was there until it was filled?_

_Writing you has been like that. I feel like all this time, I’ve been waiting to find you without even knowing it. Even though there are obviously some things I don’t know about you (like your name), when I read your messages, I feel like I’ve known you for years._

_Does that make sense?_

_So I can tell the thing at work bothers you more than you want to let on, and I’m sorry. I think I know what you mean. I don’t know what you do, but I’m sure you’re amazing at it. If this person doesn’t see that, that’s their problem, not yours. I do know it’s hard when you can’t get your coworkers to take you seriously, and it feels like you can’t get their respect. I feel like that at work sometimes, and I know some of that is my fault. I have a lot on my plate and sometimes it makes me seem irresponsible at my job. So I know my words probably won’t make it feel any better. Just know that any time you need to talk about it, I’m here for you. You say it’s not that important and that we don’t talk about important things, but…_

_What I’m trying to say is, even though we don’t know each other very well, you are important to me. Maybe more than you know. If it’s important enough to bother you, then it’s important to you. And that makes it important to me. Any time you want to talk, I’m here._

_Don’t think you’re getting out of your suggestion, though! I accept your challenge. One humiliating thing I’ve always wanted to do, coming up! I suppose we’ll have to take each other at our word that we’ll actually do it. But what are friends for, if not to hold each other to embarrassing promises?_

Barry finished the message and then sped into the shower, hoping he could get back to his company before they could wonder what was taking him so long. He wasn’t ready to tell them about his anonymous friend, at least not yet. He wasn’t ashamed of their friendship, by any means, but he felt like there was something precious in the secret of her, in having this part of his life that was his alone.

Luckily, when he returned to the living room a while later, Caitlin and Cisco were still hard at work and seemed none the wiser, though pizza had been delivered at some point during his absence. He grabbed a piece and scarfed it down before turning his attention back to his friends. “But if I make it more sensitive, it gives off too many false positives, remember?” Cisco was grumbling.

She sighed and rebutted in a kind but firm tone, “I know. But if a warning comes too late, what’s the point?”

He groaned and leaned away from the computer, and Barry took advantage of the momentary distraction. “Hit a wall?” It had only been a couple of months since Cisco had quit his job as an underpaid, underappreciated engineer with a soulless corporation and set off to start his own company. He was working on a big project that he hoped would get the company off the ground, and Barry knew the amount of blood, sweat and tears his friend was putting in to make it a success.

“He’s hit a momentary setback, that’s all,” Caitlin corrected him, throwing Barry a stern glare of reproach. “If anyone can figure it out, it’s Cisco.”

“If I don’t have a nervous breakdown first,” the man in question grumbled.

She put her hand on his back and rubbed it slightly. “Come on. You went through the same thing with this, remember?” she asked, lifting her arm to show him the bracelet she wore on her left wrist. “It’s working great!”

“What’s that?” Barry asked, nodding to the item in question. He had a vague idea that Cisco was working on some new tech, something that would act as an early detection system for seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and perhaps one day even certain types of cancer, well before anything currently out on the market. He also knew Caitlin was helping with some of the medical aspects, but Barry hadn’t realized she was wearing a prototype, as well.

“Oh,” she murmured with a soft smile, cupping her hand over it in an almost protective gesture. “This one isn’t as fancy as what he’s working on now.”

Cisco cut in, though he sounded a little sheepish as he said, “She kept forgetting to take time to grab a bite to eat at work. I made her something to let her know her when her blood sugar was low, so she wouldn’t make herself sick. It’s no big deal.”

Caitlin rushed to argue the point. “It’s incredible, and what you’re working on now is only a slightly more complicated version of it. You’ll figure it out. I know you will.” The two of them shared a long look that made Barry wonder if he’d gained the power of invisibility, and when he cleared his throat to remind them he was there, Caitlin flushed, shot a glance to the clock on the wall, and jumped to her feet. “Anyway, I – uh – I have to go.” At Barry’s curious look, she added in an undertone, “I have a date.”

For probably the first time that night, the laptop lost the bid for Cisco’s attention as he turned and stared at her. “A date? Now? With who?”

Her cheeks tinged pink, Caitlin grabbed her coat and slipped it on. “Um. With Hunter.”

Cisco’s jaw dropped. “Him? But he’s a jer –” at seeing the glower she threw his way, he switched tactics midstream, “I mean, a coworker! You want to date a coworker? Is that a good idea?”

“We don’t work together that often,” she argued. “Anyway, it’s just a drink. I’m not marrying the guy! He’s asked me out a few times. You know I haven’t really dated much since – since Ronnie, so I decided what the hell and said yes. It’s not that big of a deal. I know you think he’s an arrogant jerk, but he can actually be nice, when he isn’t in Doctor Mode. He’s smart, cute, his sense of humor is…okay, a little dry. He’s not as bad as you think!”

“Sure, if you like egos the size of Central City, sure, he’s a dreamboat,” Cisco mumbled with a scowl, snapping his laptop closed.

Caitlin threw him a tight, insincere smile, “Then I guess it’s good you’re not the one going out with him.” Rolling her eyes, she walked to the door. “I’m on call tomorrow, but I can stop by for a while if I don’t get called in.” With a quick wave, she darted out the door.

“I still don’t know what she sees in that guy,” Cisco complained. Barry tried not to grin at what seemed distinctly like jealousy, offering a commiserating shrug instead. Not mollified by the gesture, Cisco moved to the couch and collapsed onto it with a heavy sigh, propping his feet up on a coffee table that had seen better days. Then, apparently deciding misery loves company, he asked, “So how are things going with you and your new friend?”

Momentarily thrown by the change of subject and still thinking about the message he’d received earlier, Barry blurted, “How did you know about – oh, you meant Iris West? Fine, I guess. Wait. Did I say fine? I meant terribly. I’m trying to get her to ask for a different liaison at the department, so I was a huge jerk to her the other day. So, you know, she basically hates me now.”

He spoke quickly, trying to cover his gaffe, but Cisco had caught his slip and was staring at him with a small smile on his face. “No, go back. What were you going to say? How did I know about what?”

Flushing, Barry tried to lie. “Nothing!” But when he saw his friend wasn’t going to give in, he leaned into the back of the couch and groaned. “I can’t believe I let that slip.”

“Uh huh. You may not think you wanted me to know about whatever it is, but it’s all psychological. You secretly wanted to tell your best friend all about it, you just didn’t know you wanted to tell me.”

Barry shot a quick look out of the corner of his eye. “Does Caitlin ever buy the nonsense that comes out of your mouth?”

Cisco shrugged. “She pretends to. Your attempt to change the subject has been noted and ignored, in case you were wondering.”

Barry ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “Oh, okay.” On second thought, maybe it would be nice to talk to have someone to talk to. “The thing is, I’ve – I’ve met someone. Kind of.”

His friend’s grin widened. “Really? What’s her name?”

He winced. “Um. I don’t actually know.”

Now the smile slid into a confused expression. “Okay,” he offered after a brief pause, “what’s she like?”

This was easier, and Barry felt that dopey grin from earlier spread across his face. “Oh, man. She’s amazing. She’s smart and funny and…and adorable. Sometimes she says things that just make me see the whole world in a different way, you know? I feel like I’ve known her forever, and it’s just been a few weeks.”

Cisco leaned back against the couch. “And how’d you meet?”

Now he felt a deep flush spread across his face. “Actually…um…we met…on that…fan site. _Saved By the Flash_?”

He watched his companion’s jaw drop. “Does she…does she know you’re…?”

“No! No, of course not. We actually don’t talk about the Flash very much, to be honest. Mostly we talk about, you know, other things. Whatever comes to mind, we just write back and forth, and it’s – she’s – amazing.”

“So, are you guys going to meet?”

Barry grimaced and sighed. “Probably not. We agreed we would keep our real identities a secret. We try not to tell each other anything too personal, anything that would even be too much of a hint about who we really are.”

Now it was Cisco’s turn to sigh. “Man. That’s rough.” They both fell silent, thinking about their respective absent love lives, and then Cisco blurted in alarm, “Wait. She’s not the one who drew that Santa picture of you, was she?”


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Iris West sat at her favorite coffee shop and smiled to herself as she read her most recent message from her anonymous friend, ScienceNerd. As strange as it was, he had made her feel better. Then she winced when she realized that she would have to do something embarrassing today. Why had she ever made such a stupid suggestion? Then again, he’d agreed to do it, too. She would only have his word that he followed through, but even though they didn’t really know each other in real life, she believed him. Even though she knew it wasn’t rational, she trusted him.

She ignored the looming specter of her imminent humiliation and read the rest of his message again, focusing on the part where he told her she filled a hole in his life he hadn’t even known he had. She wondered if he would believe her if she told him that she felt the same way. Would that be too revealing of her feelings?

Was it possible she was actually getting a crush on a guy she didn’t even know?

“Ohhhhhkay. You have to tell me what it is that’s bringing that smile to your face.” Iris jumped and looked up at the woman who slid into the seat across from her. Linda Park was a reporter at CCPN and probably her dearest friend.

“Nothing!” Iris lied, her cheeks warming, as she snapped her laptop shut.

Linda’s eyes narrowed. “You realize I’m a reporter too, right? I’m going to figure it out.”

Feigning ignorance, she tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” To cover her blush, she took a deep drink of her coffee, spluttering when it scalded her tongue.

“Uh huh.” Linda clearly wasn’t buying it. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you looked distinctly…smitten. So who’s the lucky guy?”

She rolled her eyes. “Nobody! There is no guy!” At her friend’s disbelieving stare, she ran her finger along the rim of her cup. It would probably be a little embarrassing to admit she had a crush on someone she’d never even met, but she had to admit, it would be nice to have someone to talk to about him. “Okay, maybe there is.” At Linda’s smug expression, she drawled, “Yeah, yeah, you’re a great reporter; you figured it out.”

Linda responded with a gracious bow. “Thank you for acknowledging my awesomeness. Now spill.”

“Okay. I’ve been talking to this guy. Online.”

Before she could continue, she saw her friend’s expression fall. “Oh, Iris, no. That is such a bad idea.”

“It’s not what you’re thinking! It’s fine!” she argued defensively. “We don’t share any personal details. We just…talk. You know that blog I started, _Saved By the Flash_? He posted on there one day, and we got to writing back and forth. There’s absolutely nothing underhanded about it.”

“He could be catfishing you. Anyway, I was hoping you were going to tell me that something interesting happened with that cute detective you were so excited to get to work with on your Flash story!”

Iris huffed and scowled into her cup of coffee. “He’s not a detective; he’s a CSI. And nothing happened with him, except for the fact that I found out he’s really a huge jerk who actually kind of hates me. I would love to convince his boss to assign someone else to the job, but he isn’t going to listen to me, and I don’t want Mason to think I can’t handle it. So it looks like we’re stuck with each other. I suppose the one silver lining is he probably won’t be any happier about that than I am.”

Linda’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re saying he’s an idiot.” Iris shrugged in reply. “Well, I’m your friend, not your mother, so I won’t warn you about the dangers of talking to random Internet strangers.”

“Except you kind of just did,” Iris pointed out in an undertone.

She carried on as though she hadn’t heard the interruption. “But I hope you’ll be careful about getting too attached. That guy could be anyone!” Lowering her voice, Linda leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “He could be that teenage kid sitting right behind you!”

Snorting into her coffee, Iris threw a quick glance over her shoulder. “He isn’t a teenager!” she retorted with rolled eyes. She could tell Linda had picked up on the disappointment she’d tried to hide over Barry Allen’s response to her and was being ridiculous to try to make her laugh. She refused to be such an easy mark, however.

“Okay, fine,” Linda huffed. “She could be that girl sitting in the corner, typing on her computer. Maybe she’s writing a message to you right now!”

“She is not – wait, I know her,” Iris exclaimed as she got a better look at the woman in question. “That’s Caitlin Snow. Doctor Caitlin Snow. Trust me, she’s not a creep, and she’s not catfishing me.”

“Oh, like being a doctor means she couldn’t be a creep, too. Have you forgotten about the train wreck that was my last date?”

Iris couldn’t contain her laugh at that. “Oh, I remember! But believe me when I say it’s highly unlikely she’ll start off the conversation by asking for a threesome. She’s nice!” She was about to turn away when Caitlin looked up and caught her eye. Seeing the other woman wave her over, Iris said, “Come on, she noticed us. Let’s go say hi.”

Linda’s eyes widened, but she dutifully stood. Still, as they approached the table, she murmured, “Why are we doing this again?”

“Payback for teasing me about my friend,” Iris retorted in an undertone, practically shoving Linda forward as they reached Caitlin’s table. “Hey!” she greeted the other woman brightly once they were in earshot. “I don’t mean to interrupt you. I just saw you over here and thought I’d come by and say thanks once again. The information you gave me was really helpful.”

If they’d interrupted anything important, it wasn’t evident by Caitlin’s warm smile and gracious demeanor. “No problem! If I can answer any questions for you in the future, give me a call. I was actually glad to see you here. I understand you and I have a friend in common.” At Iris’s confused expression, Caitlin explained, “Barry Allen? He said he’s working with you on a story.”

Iris felt her smile fall. “Oh. You know Barry?”

“Barry? That’s the cute CSI you were telling me about?” Linda interjected, looking from one woman to the other.

Caitlin’s eyebrows rose. “You think he’s cute?”

“I didn’t say that!” she protested. “Please excuse my friend. She’s a lunatic. A lunatic who I will be murdering as soon as we leave here!” She ignored Linda’s soft, gloating cry of “Paybaaaaack!” and carried on. “I don’t know that I’d say we’re working together so much as against each other. And I never said he was cute –”

“Who’s cute?” Iris froze at the sound of the voice she’d already come to recognize in a short period of time. She turned slowly and saw the man in question approach, accompanied by an attractive stranger with shoulder-length hair, dressed in a Doctor Who t-shirt and cargo pants. Barry froze when he saw her.

Nobody spoke for a moment until the stranger prompted, “Well, Caitlin? You didn’t answer the question. Who’s cute?”

Iris deliberately turned her back on Barry and vowed to ignore him, though she silently pleaded to the heavens that neither Caitlin nor Linda would answer. Caitlin looked between Barry and Iris and then finally said haltingly, “Um – Hunter. Hunter’s cute. I was telling them about my date.” The male stranger’s smile fell into a scowl. Then she rushed to change the subject. “I should probably introduce everyone. Cisco, this is Iris West and her friend, um –”

“Linda Park,” the woman in question supplied helpfully. “But we weren’t –” Iris stepped back, deliberately catching her friend’s toes and eliciting a soft yelp of surprise for her efforts.

“Linda, Iris, this is my friend Cisco Ramon and of course you know Barry Allen.”

Iris heard Linda suck in a sharp breath as she turned. “Barry Allen, huh? I’ve heard about you. I understand you’re an idiot.”

The stranger – Cisco – laughed. “Oh, I like you,” he said, throwing her a wide grin. Iris noticed that this time, Caitlin’s face fell as she dropped her gaze to her coffee cup.

Iris coughed. “Well, we should probably be heading out. Like I said, we didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?” Barry finally cut in. “I’m an idiot?” But when Iris turned, she saw he wasn’t looking at Linda. He was looking at her. Glaring, really.

She threw him a tight smile. “Other words come to mind, but I was being polite,” she clarified in the sweetest tone she could muster. “And by the way, I wasn’t able to get you off the assignment. It seems like someone over there must like you a lot.”

Barry scowled at her. “Actually, working with you is Singh’s idea of punishment.”

“Imagine my surprise he’d assign it to you,” she retorted. “So it looks like you’re stuck with me for a while. I guess we’ll have to try to make the best of it. Anyway, we should go.” She looked over at Caitlin to give her a polite nod goodbye and saw she and Cisco were both staring incredulously at Barry.

Before the situation could get any uglier, she grabbed Linda’s hand and all but dragged her to the door. As they left, Linda murmured, “Well, look at it this way. Barry Allen is cute, but maybe your online friend is even cuter. It’s a shame someone that attractive is that much of an idiot.”

Iris felt some of the irritation from her encounter fade away, and she shot Linda a grin over her shoulder. “Even if Allen wins on looks, I can assure you, he beats him hands down on personality.”

Linda arched her eyebrows at her. “From what I saw, a rhino with hemorrhoids would have a better personality. You aren’t exactly setting a high bar.”

Iris had to stop to regain her breath, she was laughing so hard. “A rhino with hemorrhoids? Honestly, Linda! Where do you come up with this stuff?”


	7. Chapter 7

_My Dearest Friend,_

_When I was a little girl, I found some letters my grandparents wrote back and forth when my grandfather was in the Army. They always referred to each other that way. “To my dearest friend…” I don’t know why I remember that, but I always thought there was something so simple and beautiful about the sentiment. People always talk about love like it’s this grandiose, larger-than-life thing, but I wonder if it’s really just that. Not epic poetry but dearest friends, lucky enough to be able to share a life together._

_I don’t know what made me think about that today, except I always take the same route home from work. My route takes me past this park bench, and there’s usually this little old couple that sits there, holding hands while they watch the sunset. I realized the other day that I hadn’t seen them in a while, but when I passed the bench today, he was alone, sitting on that bench with her picture in his lap._

_When I saw him, I realized how small my problems at work seem in comparison. I asked him if he would like some company, and we probably sat on that bench for two hours while he told me about his wife. Her name was Martha. Walter and Martha. They were childhood sweethearts and man and wife for almost 71 years. I can’t even imagine what that would be like._

_Even though I didn’t know them and had never spoken to him until today, I’ll never pass by that park bench without thinking of the two of them and the incredible life they had together. It’s a sad story, I suppose, but I think it’s a beautiful one, too. Could you imagine finding someone you love that much?_

_Do you want to know a secret? I pretend to be a realist, but I believe in true love and magic, and if I’m going to be in love, I want it to be like that. I want to be ninety years old, looking back at a lifetime with “my dearest friend.” Maybe not a perfect life, but one we’ve made together. Talking to Walter tonight, I was touched by his story and moved to tears by his loss, but I also doubt I’ve ever envied anyone more._

_I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, really. You must think this is a long, rambling story without much of a point. I promised I would do something embarrassing today, and I did. Well, a few embarrassing things, not all of which were intentional. Telling you this feels like the only one that matters._

* * *

_I know I told you that I lost my mother when I was little. Have I ever told you how my mom and dad met? The way he tells it, it was back when he was a medical resident. He had just finished a long shift. I think he said he’d been working for almost two straight days without a break, so he really wanted to get home and take a nap. He was almost dead on his feet, but he decided to stop by a diner to get something to eat on his way home, since he hadn’t had much of that either._

_I wish you could hear him tell this story. He tells it so much better._

_He was about to leave when he looked up and in another booth was my mom. She was laughing at something her friend said, and he would say that the way the sunlight hit her red hair, it looked like a halo. She was wearing a black turtleneck sweater and had a little butterfly clip in her hair, and when he saw her, he just knew. He knew he would marry her one day. He found a way to approach her, and he was worried he’d come off like a creep, but she invited him to sit with her. I guess he never really did get that nap._

_Losing her changed him. I don’t think I realized how crazy stupid they were in love when I was little. They were just my parents. But I asked him once if he’d ever thought about moving on and trying to find someone else. I still remember what he said. “Son, I gave the best part of me to your mother a long time ago, and she may be gone, but she still has that part of me today. Why would I give what’s left to anyone else?”_

_So I know that magic and true love exist. My parents had both. I want to find that someday, too._

_I did some embarrassing things today. Probably the biggest was being a complete ass to someone who I’ve given every reason to hate me. Even though I know that, it doesn’t stop me from wishing things could be different. But I suppose that doesn’t count, and as I was trying to think of what I’ve wanted but been too scared to do, only one thing really came to mind._

_Do you want to meet in real life? If you don’t, I understand. I know we said that we would keep things anonymous and impersonal. Only our chats don’t feel impersonal, at least not to me. I’ll take my dad’s cue and try not to be a creep and just say…if you would like to meet, my dearest friend, I would love to meet you._

* * *

Barry saw a notification the message had been read only a half hour later, though the response didn’t come until late the next day.

_I doubt you gave this person good reason to hate you. I can’t even imagine that would be possible._

_I’m a little nervous about breaking our Nothing Personal rule and bringing our friendship into the real world, but if there’s one thing I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, it’s that life is too short not to take risks for things that matter. And you matter to me._

_Do know the Jitters on Main Street? I’ll be there Friday night, 8 p.m. You’ll be able to recognize me because I’ll be wearing a red dress with a black scarf and a nervous expression._

He released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, his shoulders sagging in relief. They were actually going to meet. Before racing off to tell Cisco the good news, he forced himself to slow down long enough to type up a reply.

_Jitters at 8. I’ll be there._

_And I’m nervous too._


	8. Chapter 8

“Oh, my god, I can’t believe I’m doing this! I’m actually going to meet her! What if she hates me?” Barry had been riding the entire emotional gamut from excitement to sheer terror for days; it was a miracle his friends had managed to put up with him – though Caitlin had threatened to sedate him at one point, until Cisco pointed out that with his super metabolism, it probably wouldn’t do any good.

“It’ll be fine. She won’t hate you,” Cisco responded in the kind of absent-minded flat tone that hinted the sentiment had become more habit than reassurance.

Barry sucked in a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. The way he felt about his anonymous friend, if things went at all well tonight, he could easily see himself telling her about his alter-ego as the Flash. Heck, he could easily see himself wanting to spend the rest of his life with her. But if he didn’t calm down, he’d probably vibrate right in front of her just from the strange cocktail of emotions he was dealing with and give his secret away before they’d even ordered their first cup of coffee.

“Thanks for coming out with me tonight,” he said when he felt he’d attained some small measure of calm. They were across the street from Jitters, a few minutes early, too. Barry was beginning to feel nauseated from nerves. “I’ve been so worried about this, I probably haven’t been much fun to be around. This is just…it’s a big deal for me, so I really appreciate it.”

Cisco glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and tried for a noncommittal shrug, but Barry could tell he was pleased. “What are friends for?” he asked rhetorically, pulling out his phone. “Which reminds me, I’m going to call Caitlin and tell her we’re here. She’d have come along, if she didn’t have to work. I don’t think she trusts us to do it properly.”

Barry nodded, rubbing his palms on his pants as he shifted his weight back and forth. Part of him wanted to run in, see if she was already there. The other part of him was still worried that they’d meet and he wouldn’t live up to her expectations. He couldn’t even imagine that she might not live up to his.

Cisco was already dialing Caitlin. “Hey, you got a minute? We’re here.” He listened for a second. “No, he’s a nervous wreck.” Barry started to pace as he listened to one half of the conversation. “Um, he’s wearing the blue sweater.” Another pause. “I don’t know which blue sweater. It’s blue! It’s a sweater!” Another pause. “No, I’m wearing my Goonies shirt and – what do you mean? I thought you liked my Goonies shirt!”

“Guys,” Barry groaned through gritted teeth. Normally, their tendency to get lost in conversation with each other was endearing, but not right now.

Cisco shook his head and said into the phone, “Well, you’re probably right, I would, but I’m not going on a date tonight so it doesn’t matter.” One more pause. “I don’t know; he hasn’t seen her yet.”

This got Barry’s attention, and he stopped in his tracks. “Could you look inside? See if she’s there? Tell me what she looks like?” At his friend’s incredulous look, he sheepishly explained, “Look, I’m crazy about this girl. I may be falling in love with her, and if she’s half as amazing in person as she is online… I’m just… Now that we’re going to meet…”

Cisco did an exaggerated roll of his eyes, but the readiness with which he jogged to the window made Barry suspect Caitlin had requested the same thing. “All right, hold on. I’m taking a look.”

“She’s wearing a red dress and a black scarf,” Barry offered, although he’d probably mentioned that fact enough on the way over that his friend was unlikely to have forgotten.

“I don’t –” he began, then seemed to realize that he should be speaking more to Barry than into the phone, so he pulled it away from his ear just far enough that he could address his anxious companion directly but Caitlin would still be able to hear. “Sorry. I don’t see her yet. It’s busy, so – wait. I see someone in red.”

“And?” Barry asked, lifting his weight onto his toes.

“Someone’s standing in the way. Hold on. Yeah, red dress…I think that’s a black scarf…Barry, I think she’s in there!” In spite of himself, Cisco sounded like he was getting almost as excited as Barry, and they both heard Caitlin’s happy cheer over the tiny speaker. “Yeah, it’s definitely her! She’s – oh.”

Barry was almost jumping up and down at this point. “What does she look like? Is she pretty?”

Sounding slightly more subdued, he replied, “Oh, she’s beautiful all right. She looks…she looks a little like that woman we met the other day. Iris West?”

With a slight shake of his head, Barry said, “Well…Iris hates me, but she’s beautiful, so that has to be a good thing, right?” He was so happy that Newsflash was actually there that it took him a moment to register the dread in his friend’s eyes when he turned, the phone falling to his side.

“Barry, if you think Iris hates you, I don’t know that you should go through with this. Maybe I should –”

“What do you mean I shouldn’t go through with it? What are you talking about?” He didn’t know whether to be angry or insulted.

With a heavy sigh, Cisco replied, “It is Iris. Your mystery friend. It’s Iris West.”

Barry blinked twice, trying to process these words. The woman he had been talking to for months, the one he was half-convinced he was falling for, was the woman he’d spent the last few weeks pushing away? It couldn’t be. The universe couldn’t be that cruel. “No, it –” he began, but his tongue couldn’t form the words of the denial. A fraction of a second later, he was standing next to Cisco, staring through the window.

It was her. Iris West. In her bright red dress, black boots, and black scarf, Barry could see he wasn’t the only man at Jitters to notice her. When she turned her head to say something to the waitress, a jewel pin in her hair sparkled in the light. Or maybe it was just her smile that made her seem to glow. How had he not ever noticed before what a heart-stopping smile she had?

Because she’d never smiled at him before.

His shoulders slumped, and he rubbed his hands across his face and into his hair. “What are you going to do?” Cisco asked softly.

Barry closed his eyes and muttered a curse under his breath. Then, after a moment’s thought, he answered with a heavy sigh, “Nothing. I’m not going to do anything.”

He heard Caitlin on the other side of the phone; though he couldn’t hear her words, she didn’t sound happy. When he turned to leave, his companion asked incredulously, “You’re not – you’re just going to leave her there, waiting? Do you want me to go in and –”

“No!” he barked, stopping his friend in his tracks. “If you go in there, she’ll figure it out. I’ll send her a message. She’ll get it on her phone. I don’t want her to know it was me.” Cisco looked uncertain, but he stepped away from the door. “If you don’t mind…I just need to be alone for a while,” Barry mumbled, turning to walk away. In all honesty, he could send her a message in their chat, but he didn’t know that she would see it tonight. He didn’t even know what he would say. All he knew was that the woman he thought he could love was the same woman who hated him, and he didn’t know how to deal with that.

So he left.

* * *

Inside Jitters, Iris glanced at her phone, checking the time. It was after 8:30; ScienceNerd should have been there by now. Her heart felt like lead in her chest. After all the months spent chatting and all the private thoughts they’d shared, was he really going to stand her up? It didn’t seem possible.

And yet, here it was, 8:36, and no sign of him.

“Can I get you another cup of coffee? We have a new seasonal peppermint mocha that’s pretty good,” the barista offered as she passed by, eyeing the empty chair like she could read the situation and knew some comfort caffeine might be in order.

Iris started to shake her head. “No, that’s –” 8:37. “Well, okay. I’ll give it a shot.” She’d wait until 9. Give him an hour. Then she’d leave. Normally, she wouldn’t even wait that long, but she simply couldn’t believe he wouldn’t show. Something had to have happened. Maybe he got lost on the way; maybe there was an accident and he was stuck in traffic. She didn’t know what, but she knew he would come.

Iris sighed, fiddled with the napkins on the table, tried not to bite off her lipstick. Every time the front door bell jingled, she looked up to see if it could be him. Every time, she was disappointed.

Then the door jingled and she looked up to see the last person she expected – or, truth be told, wanted – to see there. Barry Allen. She considered hiding for a moment, but she refused to be so juvenile. Also, she had nothing to hide behind. So instead, she pretended to be engrossed by the drink display, hoping if she acted as though she hadn’t seen him, he would have the good grace to do the same.

No such luck. “Iris!” he greeted her as he headed over to her table. “Mind if I join you?”

“Yes, I –” she began, but he pulled out the chair and lowered himself into it before she could even get the words out. “I’m waiting for someone,” she finished with an irritated scowl.

“I’ll move when he gets here,” Barry promised. Just then, the doorbell jingled and Iris craned her neck to look around him. Still no sign of ScienceNerd, just a bunch of teenagers coming in for a late night energy boost.

8:39.

She’d almost managed to forget Barry was there until he cut in, “What’s wrong? He didn’t stand you up, did he?”

“No, he – he didn’t stand me up!” she retorted. “I’m sure he’s just running a little late.”

Barry grabbed her phone, tilted it to look at the time. “Pretty late. It’s 8:40.”

Iris sighed. “All right, he’s running a lot late. But if he wasn’t able to make it on time, I’m sure he has his reasons. Not everyone treats appointments like mere suggestions.”

Leaning back in his chair, Iris couldn’t help but notice the long legs he practically had to curl under him to keep from being in the way. She also noticed the way his sweater brought out the blue in his eyes – framed by lashes long enough many women would kill for them. If he weren’t such a jerk, he’d be exactly her type. So it was probably for the best – at least for ScienceNerd – that he was the jerk he was.

“You’re talking about work, huh?” he mused with a self-deprecating smile. “Yeah, I’ve never been very good at being on time. It’s a fault, I know.”

She arched her eyebrows at him. “Really? I assumed you were just avoiding me.”

Now he shifted uncomfortably. “Well, not entirely,” he admitted.

“It doesn’t matter. I told you before. You don’t have to like me. I certainly don’t have to like you. We just have to work togeth –” The door jingled again, and she broke off mid-sentence to see if ScienceNerd had arrived. Still no sign of him.

Barry shot a glance over his shoulder, looking towards the door. “Still no sign of him, huh? So who is this guy who’s worth sitting around a coffee shop for…forty five minutes to meet?”

It was so crushing, having to accept the fact that Barry had probably been right. ScienceNerd wasn’t coming. And although she told herself it was probably for a good reason, it still didn’t stop the tiny stab of hurt and disappointment. Feeling the slight sting of tears behind her eyes, she blinked a few times to hold them back. She didn’t want Barry to see her defeated.

So instead of slumping her shoulders and slinking away as she wanted to do, she squared them and met his eyes with a glare of her own. “It doesn’t matter. He’s my friend and actually a good person.”

“You say that like I’m not,” he pointed out.

“I don’t know what you are, Allen. Except for being a judgmental jerk. I don’t know what I did to offend you – other than my job – but you’ve barely been decent to me five minutes since we met. You’re rude, cynical, arrogant –”

“Arrogant?” he repeated in indignation, as though he had never been called such a thing before.

She nodded emphatically. Normally, she might not be quite so honest with her opinion, but Barry had come to her at a bad time on an evening when she was already feeling wounded, and he was provoking her. It wasn’t her fault if she lashed out in return.

“Arrogant!” she repeated. “This isn’t about the Flash; this is about you! I don’t know what it is, but you seem to have a pretty limited view of what kinds of – you act like the Flash is an opportunistic creep for going out there and trying to make the city a better place. Well, he makes the world a better place than you, I’ll tell you that much! At least he’s fighting for something! And you know what? At least I believe in something! So you can look down your nose at me all you want, but I’d still rather be a naïve idealist than a judgmental cynic. You see the world as ugly and horrible because that’s all you want to see, and if you want to know the truth, I feel sorry for you, that you’d even look at someone who’s doing everything in his power to help and root for him to fail!”

She could tell he was angry; his eyes were flashing, and his hand formed a fist on the table. But his voice was controlled when he said, “You don’t know me, Iris. You don’t have the first clue what I believe.”

Leaning back in her chair, she spat, “I don’t want to know you. I guess you were right about one thing. We reporters are only in it for the story. Once this one’s done, I hope I never have to see you again!”

She’d gone too far. She could feel it the minute the words left her mouth, but it was too late. The words seemed to reverberate between the two of them, and when they faded, the silence that followed after seemed deafening. She almost couldn’t believe it, but when he straightened, she could swear he looked hurt. “Well,” he said softly, bowing his head so she couldn’t see his face. “I should go.”

She opened her mouth to say something – perhaps to apologize, if not for the sentiment than for the delivery. She suspected her words were at least as much from her own disappointment in the evening as from her frustration with him. But she didn’t say a word as she watched him stand and walk out the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Barry had fallen asleep in the chair in front of his laptop, but he was rudely awoken by Caitlin’s furious charge into the room. “Barry Allen!” she barked angrily, causing him to start. Maybe he should rethink the policy that his friends could let themselves in at any time. “I can’t believe you stood her up!”

He almost fell out of his chair and had to shake his head to clear away the cobwebs. “I – what?”

“Iris! You stood her up! I don’t care if the two of you don’t get along, you don’t –”

“I didn’t!” he cried in his own defense, causing her to come to an abrupt halt. He rushed to take advantage of the silence caused by her momentary surprise. “I – I was going to,” he admitted sheepishly, “but I went back.”

Caitlin’s righteous indignation evaporated. “Oh,” she finally said, her temper deflated. “Um – how’d it go?”

Barry scowled, his hand forming a fist in his lap. “About as well as you’d expect,” he replied morosely. “I’ve spent the last couple of months making her fall for the guy on the other end of the computer and the last few weeks making her hate the real me.”

“So you told her who you are? That you’re the guy she’s been talking to.”

“No,” he admitted, but before she could grow angry again, he hurried to explain, “Caitlin, you should have heard her last night. It doesn’t matter that she likes him, the moment she found out it’s me, it would all be over.”

To his surprise, Caitlin nodded slowly and perched on the edge of his desk. “I understand. He’s the fantasy. You’re the reality. As long as she’s focused on the fantasy of what she thinks you could be, you’ll never be able to get her to see the reality of who you really are. But the fact is, reality is always better than a fantasy. You need to get her to see who you really are, and then the fantasy won’t measure up.” At his expression, she asked, “Do you understand?”

“Yes,” he said firmly, even as he was shaking his head. “No,” he amended when he realized it was the truth.

Caitlin sighed. “Has Cisco ever told you about Ronnie?”

Barry took a moment to follow the change of subject. “No,” he answered slowly. “I’ve heard you mention him, but I’ve never asked Cisco about it. I didn’t want to be nosy.”

Standing, she started to pace back and forth across the floor. “Ronnie was – he was my fiancé. We met as freshman in college and the three of us – Cisco, Ronnie, and I – became friends. Ronnie and I got engaged in our junior year. In our senior year, two months before the wedding, he –” she paused and seemed to need a moment to collect herself before she could continue. Squaring her shoulders, she finished, “he was in an accident. He died.”

“Oh,” Barry murmured, “I’m sorry.”

“After he died, for the longest time, I didn’t know how I would go on. It got better, but I didn’t think I’d ever fall in love again. I loved Ronnie so much. I couldn’t imagine ever feeling that way about anyone again. Every time I tried, I would remember Ronnie and how wonderful he was and how perfect our lives would have been together.

“And he was wonderful. He really, really was. I think we probably would have been happy together for the rest of our lives. But the thing is…he wasn’t perfect. Neither was I. So even if we would have been happy, it wouldn’t have been perfect. But nobody would ever be able to compete with my fantasy of him and what our lives together would have been like. It was only recently that I’ve begun to think – to realize – how much I might be missing out on by focusing on a memory.”

She came back to perch on the edge of his desk. “Reality may be more difficult, it may even be more painful at times, but it’s better. Fantasies are lonely things; they can never make you happy in the long run because they’ll never be true. They aren’t real. Do you understand?

“You need to show Iris who you really are. She may be in love with a fantasy now, but take it from me. Reality is better. Because that guy on the computer that she’s likes so much? He’s also this guy in front of me, the one she’s never had a chance to get to know. And the guy you’re pretty sure she hates? He’s also that guy she cares about.”

She stood and walked to the door, more calmly than she’d come charging in. “Think about it.”

Barry smiled at her as she left. “Thanks, Caitlin,” he said as she closed the door behind her. Then he pulled open his computer and stared at the words he’d read a hundred times without being able to come up with a proper response.

_ScienceNerd –_

_What happened to you tonight? I’ve spent the last couple of hours trying to think of a good reason why you couldn’t make it. I don’t think you’re the kind of person who would make a date and then not come, but I waited at the coffee shop tonight and you never showed. Instead, I ran into the person I’ve told you about, from work. I said some things that – well, they weren’t nice. There’s something about him that brings out the worst in me, and even though he’s made his low opinion of me quite clear, I regret the things I said. It made me realize how much I could have used my friend._

_I hope everything is okay, and it’s not just that you changed your mind. I don’t really know what to say now, except that I want you to know that your friendship has meant a lot to me. More than you know. If you want it to remain anonymous online, that’s fine, but I don’t want you to think that it doesn’t matter. It matters to me._

He frowned and read the words again, thinking about what Caitlin had told him. He had to face it: he had a choice to make. Either he could find a way to take Caitlin’s words to heart, to find a way to get Iris to give the real him another chance, to see both sides of him, or he could give up. Which meant giving up on the person he was coming to realize he could care about most in the whole world.

It wasn’t even a choice. It probably wouldn’t be easy, but if he knew one thing, it was that Iris was worth it. He stared at the blinking cursor for a long minute and then pulled the keyboard closer to type a response.

_My dearest friend,_

_I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you tonight. I can’t tell you what happened, but one day, I hope you can understand._

_Don’t feel too bad about the things you said. I know you’re a good person, and I’m sure he deserved anything you said to him._

_I really am sorry about tonight. Please believe me when I say that your friendship has meant a lot to me, too._

He hit send and then sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers contemplatively against its arms. As hopeful as he was that she would forgive ScienceNerd, that wasn’t the real battle. The real battle would be getting her to give Barry Allen another chance.


	10. Chapter 10

A few days later, Iris was curled up on the couch with a box of tissues and a mug of tea when she heard a knock on the door. She sneezed into a tissue and slunk her way to the door. When she looked through the peephole, she wasn’t at all surprised to see Barry Allen on the other side. It just figured the bane of her existence would show up when she already felt wretched.

“Allen? What are you doing here?” she mumbled in a stuffy voice as she pulled open the door.

He pulled a bouquet of flowers and a plastic bag out from behind his back and offered them to her. “I tried coming by to see you at work, and Linda said you were sick. I thought I’d come by and see if you were feeling any better.”

“Oh,” she said, staring rather stupidly at the flowers. She recognized what they were, of course, but the thought of him offering them to her, of all people, just wouldn’t compute. “What’s in the bag?”

Barry grinned. “Chicken noodle soup. It was supposed to be homemade, but apparently soup is harder to make than I thought. Since I thought my attempt would only make you sicker, I stopped by a little place I know and picked some up on my way over.” She didn’t move; she just stared at him in shock and confusion, prompting him to add, “It’s okay, you know, It isn’t poisoned.”

Iris cracked a smile at this, even if it was a small one, and stepped back to allow him in. “Oh,” she said again. “I…Thank you.” She blinked a couple of times and then said, “I appreciate it, but you really didn’t need to come by. As you can tell, it’s just a cold. I’m sure I’ll be better in a day or two.”

Barry was unperturbed. “My mother used to say nothing was better for a cold than chicken soup. Do you want me to heat it up now?”

Iris stared at him blearily for a second, then sneezed into the tissue again and shook her head. “No, just leave it on the counter. I’ll heat it up in a little bit. I might take a nap first.”

He grunted and did what she said before taking a seat in the chair by the couch. “So what happened with that guy the other night? The one you were waiting for?”

Iris frowned, distracting herself by playing with her tissue. “Oh. Um. He didn’t show.”

“He stood you up?” Barry asked, sounding shocked, which only made her grimace. “Have you guys been dating long?”

Trying to think of a good answer, she stalled by taking a sip of her cold tea. The honey had all fallen to the bottom, and she pulled a face at the overly sweet taste. “We aren’t – exactly – dating,” she finally admitted in a halting voice. Then, shooting him a quick look, she added sheepishly, “We don’t actually know each other.”

With a thoughtful look, he asked, “Blind date?”

“More like…online date,” she admitted with another grimace, this time at her confession. “We met on a message board. The other night, we were supposed to meet.” She shrugged, trying to pretend it didn’t bother her. “Like I said, he didn’t show. I’m sure he had a good reason!”

“You must really like him if you’re willing to defend him after he stood you up.”

Iris sighed. “I’m – I may be a little – I’m kinda crazy about him,” she admitted, unsure why she was admitting as much to someone she hated. It had to be the cold; it was throwing her off her game.

He nodded slowly. “I met someone online once.” At her curious look, he answered her unspoken question, “It didn’t go as planned. I don’t think she liked the real me as much as the guy online.”

“I can’t imagine why not,” she retorted sarcastically. Then she winced. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I mean, I know you’ve been a jerk, but that doesn’t give me the right to be rude.”

“I bring out the worst in you,” Barry said in a grave acknowledgement of the truth. “It’s okay; I understand. I’ve been terrible to you. I don’t blame you for hating me.” Since she couldn’t argue the point, she didn’t say anything at all. “The thing is, I didn’t mean those things I said to you. I wish I could explain why I said them.”

Iris snorted and threw him a skeptical look. “I don’t know; you sounded like you meant a lot of it, particularly the stuff about my job. We’ve already established you hate reporters,” she reminded him. “Or maybe you just hate me.”

“I don’t hate you!” he argued defensively. “But…you might have been right about the reporter thing. It’s not something I’ve ever thought about before. But maybe I do have an unconscious bias against reporters.” Iris curled her feet under her and gave him an expectant look. “It isn’t a very nice story,” he said reluctantly. “I don’t know if you really want to hear –”

“You said it yourself. We reporters are nosy. We like to know things.” She tried to keep her bitterness out of her voice, but she wasn’t entirely successful.

Barry cringed, and when he spoke, he did so haltingly as though he was trying to choose his words carefully but they still eluded him. “Um. I don’t suppose you know – that is, that anyone’s told you – do you know anything about my family?” A slight frown creased a line between her brows as she shook her head. I hadn’t really occurred to her to look into him, and all she’d ever been told about him was about his work with the department.

“When I was little, my mom died. Well, I say died. She was murdered. And for a while after, everyone thought my dad did it. He didn’t, of course! My parents loved each other. But the husband is always the first suspect, and he was the one to find her.

“He was eventually cleared by the police, but it was too late. His reputation was destroyed. While he was under investigation, reporters were all to happy to publish innuendo, speculating all sorts of reasons why he might have done it. They suggested he’d had an affair and killed her to cover it up. I remember how they hounded him for months, prying into their marriage, looking for any dirt they could find to try to sell a few papers. And when that didn’t work, they weren’t above grilling an eleven-year-old boy about what he saw that night, because a child who had just lost his mother hadn’t gone through enough. So if I’m a little biased against reporters, I suppose that’s why.”

She heard bitterness in his tone, but for the first time, she understood where it came from. For a long moment, she sat in silence, not taking her eyes from his face. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, however, and seemed ashamed to have revealed this part of his past. “I’m so sorry, Barry. That’s – nobody should have to go through that. But you have to understand, that’s not the kind of reporter I want to be, and that kind of story is not what I’m trying to do.”

“I know,” he agreed in a soft voice. “I’ve just been thinking about the terrible things I said, and I said them because I was trying to convince you not to work with me. For personal reasons, I’m not sure I can work on a story about the Flash right now. I thought if I made you hate me, you’d request to work with someone else.”

It was so absurd, she would have laughed if she didn’t feel so wretched. Still, she pursed her lips and crinkled her eyes as she pointed out in a gentler tone then she would have used a few minutes before, “You know, if you didn’t want to work together, you could have tried just saying that. I would have asked for someone else.”

Barry flushed. “I – it didn’t occur to me to do that,” he admitted, sounding so embarrassed it was hard not to laugh.

Iris would have pointed out how ridiculous his behavior was, but she was overcome by another sneeze that caused her head to start to ache. “Oh…I think I need to lie down,” she moaned. “We’ll finish this conversation later.” She stood and started to shuffle her way towards the bedroom when something occurred to her and she stopped and looked at him instead. “Barry, why are you here, really?”

His head was still ducked, causing him to appear almost tentative as he shot her a quick look. “Because…I want to be your friend. I know it’s probably impossible. I’ve given you ever reason to hate me. But…that’s it. That’s why. I like you, and I want to be your friend.”

She didn’t even begin to know how to respond to that. “Huh,” was all that came to mind, and even through the haze of sickness and cold medicine, she knew it was hardly adequate. She took a few more steps and then paused again. “Do you still want to get off the story?”

He shook his head. “No. If you’re still willing to work with me, I’d like to help.”

She bit her lip. “All right. I’ll come by your office on Friday at lunchtime. Noon. We can start sorting through things then. I’m not promising we’ll be friends or anything! But…maybe we can start over.”

Barry grinned, the first time she’d ever actually seen him do it. She desperately hoped it was the cold medicine making her lightheaded all of a sudden, because she wasn’t ready to even consider it might have been the sight of his smile. “Starting over. Good. Great! I’d like that. I’ll be there, right on time. I promise.”

This time, she found he was as good as his word. When she came by his lab with lunch, not only was he actually there, but he was all ready for her – the files about the Flash’s activities already sorted and piled up on the desk, ready for her to peruse.

Maybe he was serious about wanting a second shot. Maybe he really wanted to be friends. Iris wasn’t quite ready to trust him yet, but she made an effort to put their bad blood behind them and make a fresh start. Perhaps she’d find that Barry Allen wasn’t so bad, after all.


	11. Chapter 11

Rather than avoiding Iris or trying to push her away, Barry found himself looking forward to their afternoons together. They worked out a schedule for the two of them to meet so she could go through the files together, since Singh had directed the files were to stay within Barry’s control. He took that to mean that he was allowed to take them offsite, as long as he was with Iris when they went through them together.

So long lunches at the lab became lunches at a local café. Which became the occasional dinner. As they met, Iris warmed to him, but she also continued to write him as ScienceNerd, and he knew the cautious affection she was starting to feel for him in real life didn’t hold a candle to the way she spoke with his online persona. Still, whenever he grew discouraged, he reminded himself that she at least no longer hated him, so he’d at least made some progress.

One evening after work, Barry decided to stop into Jitters to grab some coffee and saw her sitting at the window. When she looked up at him, she waved him over, so he grabbed his cup and joined her. As he approached, her eyes lit up and she smiled, and the sight took his breath away.

She had a beautiful smile.

“Hey,” he greeted her warmly.

“Hey, there. I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said, moving her things so he could take the seat across from her.

“Late night at the lab, and I promised I’d run by and see a movie at Cisco’s. I don’t know if you remember him, but you met him at the coffee shop that time,” he replied as she nodded to indicate she remembered the man in question. When he followed his statement immediately with a yawn, he smiled. “Which is why I needed this, I guess. What about you? What are you doing here?”

Iris wrinkled her nose. “I wish I could say I was working, too, but honestly, I’m just feeding my addiction.”

He lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “You know, if you want to join me, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind one more, as long as you don’t mind when he recites quotes while you watch the movie.”

She paused but then shook her head. “Thanks, but I don’t want to intrude. Maybe another time.” Then, after a brief pause, she asked tentatively, “Mind if I ask you a question?” When he agreed, she continued, “Are Cisco and Caitlin a thing?”

“No,” he replied, watching her closely. “Why? Are you – uh – interested in him?”

Iris shook her head. “No. He’s cute, but he’s not my type. It’s just, when I met him that day, I don’t know. They seemed a little…jealous. At times. I thought maybe they had a thing for each other. It’s a drawback of my work; I’m professionally curious.”

Barry chuckled. “If they’re interested in each other, they aren’t doing anything about it. I think glaciers move more quickly than either of them.” When she laughed, it made his whole day. “Speaking of romance, how are things going with your online friend? Made plans to meet again?” Of course, he knew they hadn’t, but he still wasn’t sure it was a good idea to tell her who he was. She’d thawed towards him, but he had no illusions she’d ever thought of him as something more. He didn’t want her to be interested in him because of an image she’d painted of him from strictly their online interactions. He wanted her to like him because of everything he was – online and in person.

That his next hurdle would be confessing to her that he was the Flash was a fact he recognized but for the moment was willing to ignore.

Iris frowned. “They’re fine. And no. I tried to broach the subject once, but it didn’t seem like it was a good time for him. Maybe after the holidays. It’s a busy time of year, so…” She shrugged.

He made a face like he wasn’t so sure. “Maybe,” he agreed reluctantly. “Did he ever explain why he didn’t meet you the last time?” When she shook her head, he suggested, “Maybe he’s married.”

She laughed again. “He is not married!” she retorted, sounding more scandalized and amused than angry at the suggestion. “Although Linda does think he might be catfishing me.”

“He might be! I mean, what do you really know about this guy? Do you know for a fact he isn’t married? Have you ever asked him?”

Though she rolled her eyes at him, he noticed she paused a beat before doing so. Maybe she’d begun to realize there were things about his online persona she didn’t know. “Yes! Well…no. But I’m sure he isn’t. Surely he would have told me at some point!”

Barry feigned agreement. “I’m sure. Because guys never lie about that,” he responded dryly. “Of course, it’s possible he isn’t married. Maybe he’s just a flake. Maybe he forgot. Maybe he went to the wrong place and was confused the whole night.”

She snorted and took another sip of coffee. “Or he had to take his ailing grandma to the hospital and sit by her side all evening holding her hand until he knew he was okay. And the hospital didn’t have WIFI so he couldn’t message me until he got home.”

“He could have been arrested for drug smuggling. Are you sure this boyfriend of yours isn’t a mule?” He kept his tone light and was gratified when she didn’t take offense to his suggestions.

“Or he stopped on his way to thwart a burglary and had to stick around to give his statement and tend to the wounded!”

Barry laughed. “Next you’ll be suggesting he stopped to get a kitten out of a tree. Is this friend of yours a saint?”

Iris’s smile was a little soft and shy. “He’s just a nice guy, is all.”

He shook his head. “He’s a lucky guy, to have a woman like you believe in him so much.”

* * *

“Find anything interesting?” Barry asked, making conversation as he ran some tests and Iris made some notes on a report she was perusing.

Iris made a soft sound of agreement. “Oh, plenty interesting. Not much helpful. I just finished reading the report from the guy who claims aliens dressed like the Flash kidnapped him and took him up to their ship for – you know, I’ll just stop right there. Now I’m reading about his encounter with Mark Mardon.”

“Oh, that’s a good one,” he said, tweaking some settings on his machine.

“Yeah? Why’s that?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Barry didn’t answer for a moment as he concentrated on his work. When he did, he still sounded distracted. “Well, if I were him, I’d have to be proud of the way he figured things out. Everyone thought the Mardon brothers were dead, right? He not only figured they were still alive, but he figured out they were targeting the cops that had worked undercover on the case that got them caught in the first place. He was able to stop them before they killed anyone.”

She rested her head on her hand as she considered his words. “Hm. That’s a good point. Hey, let me ask you. Off the record. Does the department ever work with the Flash? A little professional courtesy between crime fighters?”

He paused and looked at her over his shoulder. “No, of course not!” he replied firmly. “Why do you ask?”

She shrugged, but the thoughtful look didn’t leave her face. “I don’t know. It’s not a bad idea, though, is it? You’re all after the same thing, right? He could probably benefit from police resources, and I’m sure someone with his abilities could help diffuse a lot of dangerous situations.”

Barry’s shrug was awkward. “Yeah. I guess. But it’ll never happen, I’m sure. You know how it is, the politics of these things.”

Iris nodded and turned back to the report. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Doesn’t mean it isn’t a shame.”

* * *

Iris walked into Jitters, packed with the after-work crowd, and looked around. Barry was already sitting and waved her over, handing her a cup of her favorite brew as she slid into her seat. “You’re late,” he teased.

“I know, but you aren’t going to believe the day I’ve had!” she exclaimed with excitement as she shrugged out of her coat. “Let me grab a muffin, and I’ll – seriously? You had that all this time?” she exclaimed when he pulled a napkin off a plate she hadn’t noticed tucked in a corner of the table. “How did you know -?”

Barry grinned. “Face it, West. I know you better than you think.”

* * *

“Wait, you don’t know who Yoda is?” He sounded so appalled at the very idea.

She threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, my god, the look on your face! Of course I know who Yoda is! I haven’t seen all the movies, but I haven’t been living under a rock!” Leaning forward, she tapped his chin with a finger as she teased him, “You, Barry Allen, are one easy mark.”

* * *

The lights were off, except for the one at Iris’s desk, as Barry poked his head into the newsroom. She’d texted him that she would be working late, so he’d decided to bring by some food in case she needed fortification.

She seemed dejected, her shoulders slumped, as she stared at the screen and typed away. His concern growing, Barry walked towards her desk. “Hey, Iris,” he said softly. When she looked up at him, he could see her stress in the tightness around her lips and the slight lines in her brow. “I don’t mean to interrupt. I thought you might be hungry.”

Iris blinked, and when she saw the bag in his hand, some of the tension left her shoulders. “Oh, wow, that’s amazing. I didn’t even realize how late it was, and I haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast.”

As he passed over the food, he glanced at her computer screen and saw the all-too-familiar message system ScienceNerd and Newsflash used to communicate. “Anything I can do to help? You know, if you want to talk, I’m a great listener.”

Her eyes drifted from his to her computer screen, and she seemed torn. “Well, I was actually…” she began, her voice hesitant. Then, pursing her lips, she leaned forward and closed the window on her computer. “Yeah, actually. If it won’t bore you. I’m just…sometimes you see really terrible things on this job, you know? Of course you do; you see them too, I’m sure. Does it ever get stop hurting?”

Barry grabbed her hand and held it tightly in his. “Only when you stop caring, and you’re too good a person for that. But it helps to talk about it.” The smile Iris threw him in return was a little tremulous and a little sad, but she didn’t let go of his hand as she told him about her day.

* * *

“If it isn’t my favorite CSI. I brought you something,” Iris said as she handed him a baggie and a cup of coffee. “Getting a call this early in the morning, I figured you’d skipped breakfast.”

Barry grinned gratefully as he took her offerings and joked, “You should be careful, Iris. We wouldn’t want people to think that I’m colluding with the press.”

She shook her head, trying not to smile. “If they wanted to avoid the chance you'd collude with the press, they shouldn’t have made you work with me as punishment. I’m irresistible, you know.”

He snorted and walked back to the scene, but as he walked away, he murmured, “Yeah. I do.”

* * *

Iris had been arguing with Mason over the phone but she gasped as Barry pulled her out of the street as a car sped by. “Careful!” he chided her as she hung up. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think the drivers in this city have it out for you. They keep trying to run you down.”

Iris looked speculatively at him as she slipped her phone into her purse. “They must all read the _Central City Citizen_.”

* * *

“You know, it’s a little strange, isn’t it? We have so much in common, it’s strange it took so long for us to get to know each other.”

Iris nodded. “Well, we weren’t complete strangers, to be fair. I used to see you all the time at crime scenes. I used to try to think of ways I could grab you for a quote just to see if you were as cute as you seemed, but –”

Barry stopped in his tracks, tugging on her arm. “Wait. Cute? You thought I was cute?” He sounded a mixture of chagrined and ecstatic.

“Well, yeah.” Then, belatedly remembering something, she flushed. “Oh, I thought you knew. That day we were in the coffee shop. We weren’t talking about Caitlin’s date. We were talking about you because Linda knew I’d thought you were cute, and she thought it was hilarious that we didn’t get along.” They continued walking, but he seemed lost in thought. “It’s not a big deal, you know? It’s just kind of funny.”

“Right,” he agreed. “It’s just…it’s strange to think about. Because whatever else could have happened, it’s too late. You have feelings for ScienceNerd, right?”

It took a second longer than it should have to answer, but when she did, her voice was firm. “Right,” she agreed.

* * *

“So, who’s picking the movie tonight?” Iris asked as they jogged up the stairs to Cisco’s door.

“I think it’s Caitlin’s turn,” he replied. “Which means –” his voice dropped when they walked through the door and found Caitlin curled up against Cisco on the couch. Her head was on his shoulder, he’d tucked a blanket around her, and if Barry wasn’t mistaken, she was snoring lightly.

Cisco raised a finger to his lips to gesture for them to keep it down. “She was pretty wiped when she got off work,” he explained in a voice barely above a whisper. “Mind if we take a rain check?”

“Yeah, sure,” Barry said, turning to go.

Just then, however, Caitlin shifted, stretching slightly, and lifted her head off his shoulder. “Mmm, I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I didn’t drool on you, did I?”

Cisco rubbed her back as she sat up. “No, but did you know that you snore?” he teased gently.

She gasped. “I do not!”

“You do. Just a little! It’s cute!”

When Caitlin looked to them for confirmation, Barry tried not to grin as he nodded in agreement. Iris pretended to be so engrossed by the tiny Christmas tree she hadn’t heard a thing. “So, are you guys staying in town for the holidays?” she asked, abruptly changing the conversation to prevent further embarrassment.

Caitlin seemed surprised by the question, but she nodded. Cisco shook his head. “Not me. My brother just moved to Star City, and he’s hosting this year, so believe me, attendance is not optional. My parents would hold it over me the rest of my life if I blew him off. But that reminds me.” He grabbed a few packages under the tree. “I wanted to give you your gifts early, since I won’t be here.”

He handed the first – a large, flat box – to Barry and said sternly, “You’re probably going to want to open this, you know,” he threw Iris a significant look and then finished, “later.” Barry nodded, taking the cue. Cisco had helped built the first Flash suit, so he suspected the box contained an upgrade.

Whirling with a smile, he turned and presented Iris with a flat, square box. “For you. I know we haven’t known each other very long, so I hope you like it. You can wait to open it on Christmas, if you want.”

After exchanging a hug with Iris, he turned to Caitlin and held out the smallest box. It was a square box the size of a fist. “And this one’s for you.”

“Should I wait to open it, too?” she asked softly.

His voice was slightly sheepish as he replied, “You don’t have to. You can open it now, if you want.”

Caitlin’s movements were graceful and precise as she tore open the wrapping paper and pulled the lid off the box. With a gasp, she pulled out a thick silver bracelet. “Is this –?”

He nodded. “The first prototype. I think I’ve finally gotten it to work. I still want to tweak some things – I think it could be lighter, for one. But I –”

Before he could continue, Caitlin pulled him in an exuberant hug. “You did it!” she practically squealed into his ear, but he barely winced as he returned the embrace. “I knew you would!”

“Which explains the other thing in the box,” he pointed out, prompting Caitlin to pull away slightly, to pull out the folded piece of paper she’d overlooked. “Wait. What is – Cisco, this isn’t –”

Cisco grinned. “I sent that off today.”

She gasped and argued, “But it’s your business! You’re the one who came up with the idea and got it to work!”

“And I couldn’t have done it without you,” he pointed out, his voice firm. “Not just the medical side of it. Caitlin, I don’t know that I would have been brave enough to even think about starting my own company if it weren’t for you. Pushing me, encouraging me, keeping me focused. That bracelet is every bit as much yours as it is mine, so I –”

Cisco didn’t get to finish his thought. Barry watched as Caitlin muttered something under her breath, grabbed the man she’d known for years and pulled him in for a kiss. He reacted first in shock, but as the kiss continued and grew deeper, Barry and Iris exchanged a look and then backed as quietly as they could to the door, not wanting to interrupt the moment.

Her back to the door, Iris was staring at Barry with her mouth agape and fumbling with the doorknob when the kiss finally ended and Caitlin pulled away slightly. “What – What was that?” Cisco asked, still sounded a little stunned.

“Um…mistletoe?”

“There isn’t any mistletoe here,” he pointed out, though he looked up to confirm anyway.

Caitlin grimaced. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice that.” Her nervousness clear on her face, she asked, “You don’t – you don’t mind that I did that, do you? Kissed you, I mean? Because it doesn’t have to be –”

“Mind?” he repeated incredulously, interrupting her. “I’ve been wanting to do that for years!”

As Cisco pulled Caitlin closer Iris finally got the door open and the two of them made good their escape. As they jogged back down the steps, however, Barry heard Iris crow softly, “I knew it!”

* * *

It had been long enough. Barry had given her time to get to know him; he couldn’t keep up the lie any longer. He had to know how she felt about him, and if she would be happy to find out that ScienceNerd was really Barry Allen or disappointed that he couldn’t live up to the fantasy.

_Newsflash, I’m sorry we weren’t able to do so sooner, but I had some things I needed to take care of first. Do you still want to meet? We can try Jitters again. Friday, 5:00?_

The response came in a couple of minutes later. _I’ll see you then._

It was time to find out, one way or another.


	12. Chapter 12

“I just want you to know, I had to arm wrestle a little old lady for this last muffin, but I did it for you,” Iris chirped as she sauntered into his lab, holding out her offering in its white paper bag.

Even with the stress of his uncertain future with her, Barry couldn’t help but smile when he caught sight of her. “A little old lady? You don’t say,” he retorted dryly.

“Hey, don’t underestimate her just because she was old! She was pretty spry for her age. Also, I’m pretty sure she cheated.”

“Hm,” he grunted as he looked into the bag and pulled out a blueberry muffin. His favorite. “Then how’d you win?”

Iris leaned forward and smiled conspiratorially at him. “I cheated better,” she confessed, prompting him to laugh. But when she stood and said, “By the way, I’m meeting him tonight. ScienceNerd, I mean. In about an hour, we’re finally meeting.”

Barry’s laughter died in his throat. “Oh. Well, that’s great! You’re still crazy about him, right?”

He couldn’t see her face as she grabbed the empty paper bag and turned to throw it away. “I’m meeting him, aren’t I?” He couldn’t tell anything from her tone, either.

“Hey, you want to take a walk? It looks like it’s snowing a little, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be too cold. I could use some fresh air. I mean, if you don’t have to hurry off.”

“Sure! I have a little time,” she agreed, waiting for him to get his coat so they could walk out together.

They walked in silence for about a block. “So, are you looking forward to it?” he asked. “Meeting your friend?”

Iris tilted her head back, and he watched as a snowflake drifted lazily from the sky to land on the tip of her nose. “I suppose,” she agreed. “I’m a little nervous, but I suppose that’s normal. It’s time, you know?”

“Well, you told me once that you were crazy about him. So after all this time…I suppose you can’t imagine yourself being happy with anyone else.” It was a statement, but there was an unspoken question there, too. Inside, Barry silently begged her to tell him he was wrong.

She shot him a sideways glance. “Right,” she agreed, her voice soft.

Barry grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop. “Listen. There’s something I have to ask you,” he began. When she turned to look at him, she appeared curious but also slightly cautious. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we had met back then, back when I was just some CSI and you were just some reporter – if we hadn’t had such a bad start, I mean – do you ever wonder what would have happened?”

Her gaze dropped from his, and he saw her swallow heavily. “Barry, I –”

But he was afraid to let her continue, to hear her say the words that would undoubtedly crush his heart. “Because I think about it all the time. I used to try to get up the nerve to go ask you out for coffee. I should have done it. I should never have waited, because I know I’m too late. You’re in love with someone else, and it isn’t fair of me to tell you this now. I should have done it a long time ago.”

She wasn’t moving, so he grabbed her hands and stepped closer, trying to get her to look up at him. “But, Iris, if I had gotten the nerve up back then, I’d have asked you out for coffee one night. And the night after that. And the night after that. And I wouldn’t have stopped asking you out, as long as you would have me, because I love you. I’ve been falling in love with you from the first moment we met. Even when I was pushing you away, I think I was falling in love with you.” She finally looked up at him, and he could see a tear trace a path down her cheek, so he cupped her face in his hands and brushed it away with his thumb. In a voice barely loud enough to hear, he entreated her, “Everything you’ve been looking for, Iris, it’s right here. It’s in front of you.”

“Barry…I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m meeting him tonight. I have to go.”

He dropped his hands to his sides and looked away, fighting off the sting behind his eyes. “I know. You don’t want to keep him waiting.” At her nod, he stepped back and watched as she walked away.

* * *

Iris raced to try to get to Jitters on time, though she supposed there was something ironic about running late, given that she’d been stood up the last time. Of course, she should have arrived in plenty of time, but after leaving Barry, she’d walked around for a bit, lost in her thoughts. And losing track of time.

Just a couple blocks away from her destination, she saw the light in front of her was about to change and jogged to try to make it across before it could. Nearly at the curb, she slid on a patch of ice, however, and careened to the side. Off-balance, she felt her body tip forward and knew there wasn’t any way she’d be able to stop from tumbling headfirst into the pavement.

Bracing for impact, she gasped when she felt arms go around her, lifting her off her feet and carrying her with a gust of wind out of the path of danger. When she was back on her own two feet again, she stepped back and looked at the man who had saved her. “Flash!”

He’d carried her to a nearby alley, too dark to see him clearly. His face was vibrating, so she couldn’t see his features, and his voice echoed oddly when he said, “You should be careful, Miss West. I would hate for anything to happen to you.”

“You know who I am. Then I suppose you also know this is the second time you’ve saved my life. I should probably thank you.”

He stepped back, further into the shadows. “You never need to thank me, Iris.”

Iris lifted one corner of her mouth in a smile. “But if I do, I’m hoping you’ll agree to an interview.” Her efforts were rewarded when she could swear she heard him chuckle. Before he could race off – literally – she added, “You’re probably right, though. I should be more careful. I just had a lot on my mind.”

Uncertain how to continue, she hesitated, gnawing gently at her lower lip. “The thing is, there’s this guy I could swear I was…well…I was crazy about. He’s practically perfect. But, see…I’ve met someone else. Someone I’ve realized – and it took me longer than it should have, if you want to be honest – I actually love so much, it’s made me realize that this other guy…I loved the idea of him. But I didn’t love him. I don’t even know him, not really. And now I just need to figure out how to tell him all that. So I guess I was distracted.” The Flash had stopped vibrating. In fact, he could have been a statue, he was so still. “I don’t suppose you have any suggestions, do you?”

“Iris, you shouldn’t – I can’t – before you say anything else, you should know it’s me.” Barry reached up, pushed the mask off his face. “I’m the Flash.”

“Oh, my god, finally!” she cried, stepping closer so she could swat him in the arm. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you to tell me that? I thought you’d never –”

“Wait! How did you know?” his voice was so incredulous, she told herself it would be rude to giggle. She tried really, really hard to hold it in.

Unfortunately, she didn’t entirely succeed. “Seriously, Barry? You’re a great guy, but you are the worst liar in the world, and I’m a reporter. Figuring these things out is kind of my job.” When he still look flabbergasted, she explained, “Okay, well. First of all, I realized the Flash knew things he couldn’t possibly have known if he didn’t work with the cops. Or at least have an in with a dirty cop. But why would a dirty cop work with a known superhero? That didn’t make sense, so he either has to work with the cops or be one. You denied a partnership – and asking around, I couldn’t find any hint of one. So he has a friend in the department or he works with the police himself.”

Barry shook his head. “But what –”

“The Mardon case! It’s one thing for Mardon to track down undercover cops. Maybe during his bust, someone let something slip. Maybe he heard rumors in jail. Maybe he always had a suspicion about that one guy in his crew. There are probably dozens of ways he could have figured out who to target. But the Flash? He wasn’t even around when Mardon was out! He certainly wouldn’t have known much about his crew. So either he knew Mardon – unlikely – or he had someone giving him information the department keeps pretty tight under wraps. So…that was my first clue.”

Barry had begun to pace, running his hand through his hair, which caused it to stand up in a way she found frankly more adorable than she cared to admit. “Your first clue?”

“There were others. Let’s see. Well, it occurred to me that your lateness and absences from work were a little too convenient. Whenever the Flash was off somewhere, you were nowhere around. And, surprise surprise, Flash would show up somewhere and then you’d be running late. Of course, that was a bit coincidental. You could have just been a flake. But then you mentioned to me that the cars in this city are out to get me. It was the Flash who saved me from getting hit by a car; I never told Barry about it. I only wrote about that online. So either you’re the Flash, or you’ve somehow miraculously read everything I’ve ever written.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she put on the finishing touch. “Oh, and then, when we were at Cisco’s the other night? I guess you were so happy for them that you actually…well, you vibrated. A bit. Mostly your face. I mean, I had a pretty strong suspicion at that point, but that pretty much put it over the top.” She was feeling pretty self-satisfied, the feeling only slightly marred by the fact he appeared to have missed the whole part where she confessed her feelings.

He ran his hands down the back of his head, tilting his head back with a groan. “I just…I can’t believe it. Everything I did, being a jerk to you, pushing you away. It was so you wouldn’t figure out I was the Flash!” She saw the moment the rest of her confession hit him; his eyes dropped to his side and his head snapped down, his eyes wide when they met her own. “Wait…the other things you said…you…did you mean it?”

“Did I mean I’m in love with you?” she asked. She nodded, but she hadn’t even had a chance to complete the motion when she was back in his arms. He was lifting her off her feet, her body held tight against his, as he kissed her again and again and again. By the time he put her back down and broke off the kiss, she was lightheaded, but she couldn’t stop grinning. “Are you going to do that every time I tell you I love you?”

He kissed her again, running his tongue along her lower lip. “Maybe,” he admitted. “Will you kiss me every time I tell you I love you?”

She scraped his lower lip gently with her teeth. “I guess we’ll have to find o-Oh my god! What time is it?” She’d gotten so wrapped up in him, she’d completely forgotten about Jitters. She pulled away, intending to dart out of the alley and around the corner to the coffee shop. “I have to go! Even if I don’t feel for him the way I thought I did, he’s still a friend. I should tell him –”

“Wait, I thought you knew – I’m the guy you were coming to meet, Iris. I’m ScienceNerd. I realized who you were the night I was supposed to meet you at Jitters, and I knew you hated me, so I –”

Iris stopped and stared at him, her mouth agape. Now it all fit into place. It was probably funny, that she’d figured out he was the Flash but hadn’t seen that he was her dearest friend as well. He had been, all along. “Oh, my god,” she moaned, stepping into his arms to hide her face against his chest, more mortified than she hadn’t figured it out than at the realization.

Since he kept babbling his apologies, she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. “Barry, you can fill in all the gaps later, but for right now, it’s not important. It’s like you said. Everything I want is right in front of me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Submission for 2016 Westallen Secret Santa Exchange on Tumblr. All allusions and references to source material are intentional.


End file.
